Not becoming a blimp on bed rest - My back did an ouchy

[regginknurd]

Hello fellow kiwis, drunke monke here. Due to an upcoming surgery on my back, I'll probably be on bed rest for about a month, and then minimal activity for another 6 months. I understand I can just eat less (plus being in the hospital I will not be drinking any alcohol - kind of a forced dry January har har), and i can google some basic information or ask the doctors; but, i would like to know if anyone here has anecdotes or experiences about trying to maintain weight, or even lose weight, when your activities are restricted to just laying or sitting?

TLDR; I'll be a crippled fatty for a while and I don't want to become a land-whale on wheels. Please help.

 

[Xarpho's Return]

Hello fellow kiwis, drunke monke here. Due to an upcoming surgery on my back, I'll probably be on bed rest for about a month, and then minimal activity for another 6 months. I understand I can just eat less (plus being in the hospital I will not be drinking any alcohol - kind of a forced dry January har har), and i can google some basic information or ask the doctors; but, i would like to know if anyone here has anecdotes or experiences about trying to maintain weight, or even lose weight, when your activities are restricted to just laying or sitting?

TLDR; I'll be a crippled fatty for a while and I don't want to become a land-whale on wheels.

I have never been on bed rest but I wanted to ask what is your existing diet like? For example, on a normal evening is it just water or decaf coffee, and maybe a few cookies, or are you guzzling down sugary beverages and what is essentially a light fourth meal?

 

[regginknurd]

Normally I just have a yogurt or eggs and some coffee (usually black, sometimes creamer but only a spoonful) for breakfast (8am), and then don't really eat until 6pm, and it's just two rounds of grilled or airfield chicken breast, thighs, or drum sticks, and a sweet potato with unsalted butter. And by two rounds I mean one when I get home from work, and then another around 9 or 10pm.

That's what I normally try to keep, but I drink like Homer Simpson so sometimes I'll ubereats burritos or pizza, and I don't keep chips or cookies in my house because I know I'd just snack all night. I also dont keep sugary drinks in the fridge (other than diet sodas, and i dont drink juice, I just snack on an apple or orange).

 

[herefortheactualthreads]

buy some dumbbells, that way you can atleast keep your arms, chest and shoulders trained. about the food, maybe tell the responsible person you wanna loose weight and gain some muscles, they should give you food according to that.

 

[honse]

I was able to maintain on bedrest after major surgery. Prioritize protein but add fiber to keep things moving especially since you'll likely be on painkillers too. Psilocybins are very effective at regulating the bowel without lasting issues like longterm laxative use can. I was a big fan of meal replacement shakes. Take a multivitamin if you're worried, or at minimum vitamin d and k.

When you are able to exercise, water-based exercises are highly effective with relative low impact. If you're going to be getting physical therapy some practices have water treadmills which are super helpful for rehabilitation.

Invest in good compression socks/leg massagers to avoid blood clots.

 

[OutInTheRain]

Typically after surgery your metabolism goes up as your body heals itself. Kind of like after lifting, but far more intense. So probably for the first month you'll be fine. The doctor might give you a diet to follow.

After the stitches come out and you're doing rehab is when you need to worry. Your body will be done serious healing, but unable to engage in the same activity levels without injuring yourself. You should figure out your basal metabolic rate for the weight you wish to be at and try to keep to that.

 

[Summer of George]

How far out is your surgery? Not to sound preachy, but I would recommend stopping drinking immediately. I was once like you - eat like a bird, make up for it in booze. It takes awhile for the metabolism to unfuck itself once the alcohol consumption ceases. If you have a healthy metabolism and eat sensibly, you shouldn't really gain any weight, even on bed rest. It will help everything heal up faster, too.

Most people lose weight during lengthy hospital stays, but it's primarily because of muscle atrophy. During every surgery/hospitalization I've witnessed for the past decade, the approach to physical therapy is to get the patient up and moving as soon as possible and as much as possible.

Good luck.

 

[regginknurd]

How far out is your surgery? Not to sound preachy, but I would recommend stopping drinking immediately.

Good luck.

Surgery will hopefully be mid next week.

No worries, you aren't sounding preachy. I'm not boozing while I'm laid up because they have me on muscle relaxers and opiates. I dont want to Matthew Perry myself.

Thanks for the luck!

After the stitches come out and you're doing rehab is when you need to worry. Your body will be done serious healing, but unable to engage in the same activity levels without injuring yourself. You should figure out your basal metabolic rate for the weight you wish to be at and try to keep to that.

Jeez, my basal metabolic weight is pretty much my drinking calories when I go on a bender. Haha. Thank you for your insight!

When you are able to exercise, water-based exercises are highly effective with relative low impact. If you're going to be getting physical therapy some practices have water treadmills which are super helpful for rehabilitation.

Invest in good compression socks/leg massagers to avoid blood clots.

Okay, cool. I have a ymca member ship so I can use the pool there when im able to, and i think they have rehab water equipment. And they already got me on blood thinners.

Thank you for the advice!

And thank you everyone!

Edit: phone fag and high on morphine. Please excuse my grammar issues and spelling.

 

[HarveyMCR]

being in the hospital I will not be drinking any alcohol - kind of a forced dry January

This sounds way more serious than you realize.

If you put yourself in a scenario where you are immobilized, and your only entertainment is alcohol, you will die. Maybe not in the near future. But the rest of your life is going to be spent as you as a husk never leaving your room just continuously consuming alc.

For your own sake, I would use this as an excuse to get sober. Your doctor should be able to prescribe you pills that cut the cravings/physically make you ill when you drink.

Either way, stay sober or die.

 

[DSP for president 2032]

it's just two rounds of grilled or airfield chicken breast, thighs, or drum sticks, and a sweet potato with unsalted butter. And by two rounds I mean one when I get home from work, and then another around 9 or 10pm.

Hope this is welcome advice, but it sounds like you could use some veg in your life. I always struggled with integrating veg into my meals in a way that's enjoyable and not a pain in the ass. Recently, I've been getting creative with soups, and I found that they are the perfect vehicle for frozen mixed vegetables.

I add chili paste, soy sauce, tomato paste, and sweet soy sauce to water, simmer frozen veg and mushrooms in there until I feel like they're ready to eat. Usually, I finish by cooking some noodles in the soup, and poach an egg in there for protein. I also add miso paste sometimes, but you have to add that after the soup's temperature drops, or you won't get the probiotic effects.

Opiates are notorious for causing constipation, and hot soups are supposed to stimulate the digestive system.

 

[regginknurd]

Hope this is welcome advice, but it sounds like you could use some veg in your life. I always struggled with integrating veg into my meals in a way that's enjoyable and not a pain in the ass. Recently, I've been getting creative with soups, and I found that they are the perfect vehicle for frozen mixed vegetables.

Like I said, im all buzzed up on painkillers. I also eat broccoli, green salads, and i used diced veggies (peppers, mainly) in rice. I also snack on mini cucumbers from tome to time.

This sounds way more serious than you realize.

If you put yourself in a scenario where you are immobilized, and your only entertainment is alcohol, you will die. Maybe not in the near future. But the rest of your life is going to be spent as you as a husk never leaving your room just continuously consuming alc.

Oh no no no, im going to go back to drinking, but not if I have any pain medications in my system. I like drinking, but the idea of mixing even alcohol with asprin or ibuprofen gives me the Willie's. So I'm definitely not going to be drinking on muscle relaxers and will definitely not drink again until I've finished my physical therapy and back to relative normalcy.

People who go on benders and then take like six ibuprofen the day after scare the shit out of me. Like, dude, what did your liver do that makes you HATE it that much.

But thank you for the vote of going sober. I'm definitely going to dry out for a while and I can't handle N/A beers (theyre fucking gross) so maybe the taste for booze will be out of my mouth when im up and running again.